The hotel is instantly recognized by its unusual lobby, a dramatically stylized A-frame fashioned from a massive hyperbolic paraboloid, designed by architect Pete Wimberley. Much of the decorative carving and other touches were from Edward Brownlee. The grounds also included tiki-spotted gardens, and the lobby housed a gallery of black velvet Leeteg paintings.

The Waikikian closed in 1996; in 2006, development is underway to open a 38-story timeshare as part of the nearby Hilton Hawaiian Village complex. The new tower will be called "Waikikian."